My Little Red
by April952
Summary: AU, Little Red Riding Hood. Onodera Ritsu was given a cottage from his grandmother who passed away. Going to the cottage, Ritsu finds someone waiting for him.
1. Meeting

Onodera Ritsu murmurs incoherently as he makes the small trek from his car to his grandmother's cottage. His grandmother died a few months ago leaving her cottage and all its possessions to her only grandson. Ritsu had no idea why she would do this. He was told he stayed a few months with her when he was nine but for the life of him he couldn't remember any of it.

Ritsu sighs as he finally breaks away from the small path of trees to the cottage. His Grandmother lived alone in the woods, civilization was fifteen minutes away, and behind her cottage was at least ten miles of forest. The cottage itself was beautiful, it was made out of stone, glass windows were seen in every inch of wall-it was obvious his grandmother loved to view nature-and the shape reminded Ritsu of the Highland castles in Ireland.

His mother advised him to sell the cottage but he'd doubted anyone would buy a small house in the middle of nowhere. It sounded like one of those horror movies he used to watch; someone living alone, away from civilization, where killers could be lurking about and there was nowhere to run or hide expect the dark forest. It didn't mean that he won't try. He had no use for a cottage in his busy life.

Ritsu pulls up his red sweater and takes out the key from his blue jeans. The sweater was given to him when his grandmother died. He assumed she made it for him. It was soft and a little too big on him but it was nice for the cool March air.

Ritsu puts the key into the lock and opens the door. Inside Ritsu was surprised by how clean everything looked. The windows allowed light to brighten the house, the wooden chairs and couches were light green, the fireplace was made out of a yellow-green rock, off to the side was a large kitchen with a modern marble table in the middle and two high stools, and pillows were stacked just about everywhere. He could only assume his grandmother loved to sit comfortable anywhere she went.

Ritsu inspected the house for any faults. It was perfect. Nothing was molding or falling apart, his grandmother took care of the cottage well.

Going into the only bedroom, Ritsu was surprised yet again by the condition of the room. There was a king size bed, a large burgundy dresser, to the right there was an office desk that Ritsu instantly fell in love with, and to the left was an open patio overseeing the garden.

Ritsu frowns at this. Who left the doors open? He wasn't informed of anyone coming to the cottage before him. He goes to close the doors but stops short when he sees a man on his knees, his back to him, tending the garden.

Ritsu blinks in surprise. Who was he? The man wore a black shirt and blue jeans; he had black hair, a lean figure, and in his right hand held a scoop. Beside him was a basket filled with fresh Daffodil.

Ritsu steps forward hesitantly. "Um, hello?"

The man stops and looks over his shoulder. Ritsu sucks in a breath as he gets a good view of his face. Strong cheek bones, a square jaw, full lips. There was no emotion as he looked at Ritsu, no hint of surprise or shamed at being caught, the man looked on with bored eyes.

Ritsu shivers. The look in those gold eyes, the intensity, had Ritsu taking a step back. The man stands gracefully and it takes Ritsu's breath away. He was surrounded by various types of flowers, his hair was flowing with the light wind, and those gold eyes seemed to_glow_. Wait…what?

"Who the hell are you?"

Ritsu snaps back into reality at the man's harsh tone. "Uh…Huh?" Ritsu inwardly smacks himself. Great, he sounded like an idiot.

"You're trespassing on private property. Get out."

Ritsu narrows his eyes, his irritation coming back to him in a rush. "Actually, I own this cottage now. So that means you're on my property!"

"Ha!?" The man dusts himself before making his way over to Ritsu. Ritsu takes a step back as the man easily towers over him. "_You're_Onodera Ritsu?"

Ritsu felt his irritation rise at the mocking tone this bastard used. He lifts his chin, crosses his arms, and sneers, "Yes, I am. Who are_you_?"

The man ignores his questions and smirks. "Well look at that. You grew. But not that much." The man reaches out to tug at his red sweater, his eyes going soft for a second before hiding it behind a smirk.

Ritsu felt his cheeks heat up in anger. "What the hell are you babbling about?"

The man's smirk deepens. "My name is Takano Masamune. I'm your neighbor."

"Neighbor?" He wasn't informed about this. Surely someone would have told him that there was someone else living within the area.

Masamune nods and points his thumb at the trees behind the cottage. "I live a few feet into the forest."

Ritsu looks in the direction where Masamune was pointing at. For some reason, that part of the forest seemed darker and foreboding. It sent another shiver down his spine.

Masamune ruffles his hair suddenly causing Ritsu to jump in fright. He quickly slaps his hand away. "Don't do that! I'm not a kid."

Masamune waves it away as he goes back to the garden to gather his things. "How long will you be staying here?"

Ritsu frowns, "I'm not. I just wanted to see the condition of the cottage."

Basket in hand, Masamune turns his head back at Ritsu with an intense look. Ritsu shifts uncomfortably. Why did he feel like his very soul was open to that gaze? "…This is yours now. Your grandmother gave it to you."

"I know that."

"Then? Why not live here?"

"I can't. I have work." Ritsu shakes his head. "Anyway, why are you so concerned about that?"

Masamune turns around to fully face him and Ritsu was startled by the way his eyes glowed. It was just his imagination, Ritsu told himself. Just the sunlight reflecting his eyes.

"Because I will have only you."

Ritsu blinks at the odd answer. "W-what?"

"You don't remember me." Masamune says it more like a statement than a question. "We were children. You would always play in the forest with me."

Really? Why couldn't he remember any of it? "I'm sorry. I-I don't remember."

Masamune nods. "I understand. It was…difficult for you back then."

"What do you mean? What happened?" Was there a reason he couldn't remember his time here?

Masamune smirks. "You have to stay and find out. Or are you too scared to stay at the cottage?"

Ritsu scoffs, "I'm not afraid!"

"Then stay and I'll tell you everything that happened, my little red." With that, Masamune moves away from the cottage and disappears into the forest.

Fuming, Ritsu scowls. Who does he think he is!? He wasn't scared of anything! Ritsu marches into the cottage and plans his free week stay here.

…

Did he just agree to stay here? Crap!

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**Yeah, i know. What am i posting this**.** XD **


	2. Gold Eyes

Onodera Ritsu groans loudly as he slumps down on his grandmother's couch. Why did his life have to be so difficult? Couldn't he have one day of relaxation? Working as an Editor-in-Chief was stressing enough, why did his mother have to add to the strain?

After his confirmation with Takano Masamune, Ritsu locked up the cottage and headed for his car. He drove to his apartment to grab a few clothes and necessities for his week stay when he got a call from his mother.

Ritsu was reluctant to answer at first, already knowing the lecture she was going to give him, but he knew she was going to keep bugging him until he answered. So like the idiot that he was, he answered.

His mother was quick with the questions. "How's the condition of the cottage?"

"Fine."

"You're going sell it right?"

"Probably."

"Are you at your apartment?"

"Yeah-"

"Good, I'm outside."

Ritsu shakes his head to get rid of _that_ conversation. Long story short; she saw the duffel bag and immediately knew he was staying at the cottage. They fought, Ritsu tried his best to reassure her, she didn't listen to his reasons, and when things got too heated, he left.

Ritsu closes his eyes and focuses on the present. Night had fallen two hours ago and Ritsu believed he would feel a bit uneasy at the fact that he was alone in the dark forest but was surprised by how lit this place became after dark.

There was the moon that shown brightly across the landscape, fireflies dancing among the various of flowers around the cottage, his grandmother had lights that automatically turned on at night, and then there was the lights in the house.

So far, his experience at the cottage was pleasant. He decided to leave a window open and the breeze was perfect. It felt like a summer night, where the air was a perfect blend of hot and cold and the scent was pure. All he needed was a book and tea and he was in heaven. He contemplated about tomorrow, he'll go and get a few books from the store, then he'll buy a few more groceries, and then get some more clothes from his apartment-

Ritsu stopped his train of thought and cursed. Not even an hour here and he was already getting too attached. He couldn't get attached. He had no time to take care of this cottage. He was an Editor-in-Chief at Marukawa and that title entitled to a lot of responsibilities. Hell, this was his first week off in...ever!

Ritsu decided to stand and stretch his stiff muscles. A nice hot shower sounded good right now. He made sure to close the window and turn the light off before heading to the bedroom.

He opened the door...

And stopped dead in his tracks.

The patio doors were open again.

But this time, instead of a man...

There was a huge, black Wolf.

Ritsu felt the air leave his lungs in a rush. Fear stabbed his heart, paralyzing him of any type of movement. He'd never seen a Wolf so massive before. This one easily reached his midsection and those gold eyes seemed to pierce right through his soul.

Ritsu's heart started to pound faster, he felt lightheaded, his breathing started to accelerated, and his body swayed from the affects.

The wolf saw this and cocks his head. A second later, the Wolf whimpers and lays down on the floor in a submissive manner.

Ritsu stood in shock at the unexpected action. He expected the Wolf to attack and eat him up, not...this.

The wolf whimpers again and crawls to him. Ritsu took a quick step back in reflex causing the wolf to pause. The wolf lays his head down on his paws and looks up to him with those big eyes.

**Cute**, Ritsu thought, but quickly shook his head at his idiotic thinking. What the hell was he doing? He should get out of here and-

The wolf whimpered again, catching Ritsu's attention. It stood and moved back to the open patio. Much to Ritsu's disappointment, the wolf didn't leave. It stood there, head lowered, as it waited for Ritsu's approval.

Ritsu didn't know what to do. Was it possible that this was his grandmothers pet? He seemed tamed enough. Then why didn't any of the lawyers say anything about this? First the neighbor and now this?

The wolf moves toward him. This panics Ritsu, he stays still, hoping that the wolf would lose interest at his lack of response and leave. But the wolf kept coming, and despite Ritsu's fear, he was amazed by how graceful it moved.

Strong slick muscles could be seen with each stride, its fur was beckoning him to touch, and his eyes...Ritsu didn't think he'll ever stop mentioning his gold eyes. He wanted to drown in them.

Ritsu blinked. He lost his mind. Ritsu was sure of it. Why wasn't he running? Why wasn't he shouting for help?

The wolf tapped his nose against the inside of Ritsu's palm. Ritsu jumped. The wolf was looking at him, gold eyes calm and unflinching. For some reason this calmed Ritsu.

When he saw that the wolf was waiting for him, Ritsu decided, against better judgement, to be a little brave and pet it. He lifts his hand slowly and placed his palm on the wolf's head.

The wolf purred.

Amazed by how soft his fur felt, Ritsu decided to be a little braver and place both hands on him. The purrs increased.

The next think Ritsu knew, the wolf had him pinned down on the ground, sharp white teeth hovering over his face.

**Never mind**, Ritsu thought, panicking. **I'm dead.**

* * *

**Hi! Sorry for the long wait. To those who are waiting for Beauty and the Demon i'll update tomorrow. I've been super busy. ;.;**

**I'm really surprised by the number of reviews on the first chapter! Thank you! I'm glad your enjoying! This story is small, maybe five to ten chapters. That's why i decided to post it. **

**Well, i originally posted the first chapter on Tumblr, and as i was editing it i just fell in love with the story. You know how i get, once i get passionate about something i cant stop XD**

**So thank you again! Much love!**


	3. Playing with Food

**Thank you all for the many reviews! :3 I'm glad your enjoying!**

**Grinning Guest; I promise you that i will finish the other stories. Like i said before this is just a 5-10 chapter story and i basically have it done. That's why i uploaded this. Otherwise i wouldn't do that. I intend to finish all my stories, don't worry! :3**

**And you guys mentioned that wolves don't purr. XD Damn it! Thank you for informing me! I'll work on that.**

**I don't have much time to edit, so this will be a bit short but next one will be longer! Promise!**

**Hope you enjoy! Much love!**

* * *

Ritsu closed his eyes as he waited for the inevitable. The small growl that escaped the wolfs lips had Ritsu cringing. He was going to die. My God, he was going to die. Would he feel the bite of teeth as it teared him open? Would the wolf be merciful and kill him quickly? The fear was eating at him. His body starts to shake as his mind took in the reality of his situation. He was going to be eaten by a wolf!

However, as the seconds passed by, and all he felt was the Wolf's breath on his face, Ritsu starts to wonder what was taking the wolf so long? Was it tormenting him? Do animals have that kind of conscious to do such things?

Ritsu allows his brows to knit down into a frown. Seriously, what was the Wolf waiting for? Did it like to play with its food? Ritsu inwardly grunts at his thinking, was he an idiot!? He was still alive! He should figure a way out of this situation! Fight back? No way. The Wolf would eat him before he could raise a hand. Pretend to be dead? He was kind-of doing it right now yet the wolf was still on top of him.

What the hell should he do then?

After a few more seconds of waiting, Ritsu's curiosity got the better of him. He wanted to know what was going on so badly he couldn't keep his eyes closed for much longer. He knew he was going to regret it but the temptation was too great.

He was timid at first so he allows his eyes to open slightly. He saw blurred lines and colors. He opens his eyes a little more and was met with golden eyes staring back at him. Ritsu tensed, sure that the wolf was going to eat him now.

But the wolf surprises him. It gave a small whine before resting his head on his chest. Ritsu blinks at the wolf. Wha…?

Then, when all of Ritsu's attention was on him, the wolf wouldn't stop moving. It thrashed on him, rubs his face all over his chest, its forelegs and hind legs moving around to get comfortable, and its tongue kept licking him.

Ritsu let out an unexpected laugh as the wolfs tongue tickles his neck.

The wolf froze at this and pulls back to look at him. Unease grew in Ritsu's heart, so much so that he unthinkingly gave out a weak, "W-what?" Ritsu clams his mouth shut. Crap, he should have kept quiet! Was he trying to provoke it? Ritsu tries to move back but the wolf weighed a ton.

The wolf seems to shake himself from its stupor and continues to rub it's head on Ritsu's chest with glee.

Ritsu, however, was an emotional mess.

Was it going to eat him or not? Was he going to die or not? Should he be alarmed or not!? What the hell!?

Slowly, Ritsu relaxes his tense body. The wolf showed no indication that he was going to harm him. Ritsu took his time to orientate his thoughts while trying to keep the wolf from slobbering over his face.

The wolf wasn't going to eat him.

He was fine.

He was alive.

The wolf was harmless...right?

The wolf stops his assault and looks up to him. Ritsu goes rigid. Maybe not!

The wolf rests his head on his chest, its big eyes looking into his own. Sweating, Ritsu tries to move away from the wolf. The wolf narrows his eyes and crawls closer to him.

Ritsu gulps. "Um, g-get off."

The wolf whines in protest.

Ritsu took notice at the way it responded to his demand. Encouraged by this, Ritsu tries to stand while the wolf tries his best to stay on him. After a few minutes of this tug and war, Ritsu was relaxed enough to laugh. "Let me get up already!"

The wolf playfully growls as he rubs his head on his stomach.

Giving up, Ritsu relaxes back on the floor. Well, this turned out differently. Slowly, Ritsu grins in amazement. He had an actual wolf on him! Who would have thought? It was surreal to think of this now when just a few minutes ago he was shrinking in fear.

The wolf was very affectionate as he licks and rubs himself against Ritsu. Ritsu pets the wolf a while longer before trying once again to stand up. The wolf makes a sound in protest.

"You cant keep me here forever you know." Hmm...Maybe it had a collar? He checks around the neck but doesn't feel anything. That was odd. The wolf was well behaved. It _had_ to belong to someone.

After a lot of coxing, the wolf finally lets Ritsu up. "Um, you can go home now." Ritsu motions to the patio doors. "Go. Go home." The wolf looks to the patio door, then to Ritsu, and again to the door. It take a few steps in that direction before turning to Ritsu.

Thinking that the wolf was actually leaving, Ritsu heads for the bathroom. He needed that shower. After the heart attack earlier Ritsu knew that he deserves the hot sprays more than ever.

He turns on the warm water and starts to strip off is shirt.

The sound of a low growl startles Ritsu and he spins around to see the wolf standing by the door. Ritsu lifts his hand over his heart and scowls. "Damn it! Don't do that! You scared me!" Taking deep breathes, Ritsu looks down at the wolf and shakes his head, "I thought you left."

In response, the wolf moves closer to him. Ritsu smiles as he pets the wolf. Where did he come from? Was the wolf his grandmothers or his neighbor? Maybe he should ask Takano tomorrow. Surely he would know.

He turned his attention to filling the tub and started striping off the rest of his clothes. Once naked, Ritsu enters the tub with a grateful moan.

The wolf hunched back on its hind-legs and leaps into the tub with Ritsu.

Ritsu gave a shout of surprise as water sloshed over the side of the tub. "Agh! Damn it wolf!"

**-An hour later.**

Ritsu shakes his head at the soaking wolf before him. "Did you have to do that?"

The wolf only gave him a lopsided grin. Rolling his eyes, Ritsu finishes cleaning the bathroom. He had to use almost all of the towels in the bathroom to soak up the water from the floor. Ritsu groans softly. He'll wash the towels tomorrow. He was so tired. Ritsu takes a dry towel, kneels down, and rubs it over the wet wolf.

"Troublemaker," Ritsu mutters under his breath. The wolf didn't make a sound as Ritsu dries him and Ritsu was grateful for it. Already, his patience was running thin. Crap, he needed sleep badly.

Once Ritsu was finished drying his wolf, he makes his way to the bedroom, and climbs in bed with a relieved sigh.

The wolf quickly climbs in bed after him and buries his head on his chest. Ritsu blinks at this. What an odd wolf. It didn't even know him and already it was clinging on to him as if they known each other for years. Maybe they did? Maybe Takano could shed some light on the issue and help regain his 'lost' memories.

Ritsu reaches out to pet the wolf and smiles when his wolf released a low rumble in response.

Ritsu reaches over to turn off the lights and lets his mind wonder into sleep.

What he didn't notice was the way the wolf watched his every move with hungry eyes.

Ah, was it possible that the wolf was indeed playing with its food?


	4. Emotion

Ritsu sighs in annoyance as he finds yet another error in the manga. He leans back on the leather chair and rakes his finger through his hair in utter frustration. What the hell was she thinking? She had loads of time to draw out her story yet this felt rushed and unorganized. It was as if she had no time whatsoever to fix the plot or the characters. It was messy, the story wasn't interesting, and the characters were horrible.

Ritsu rolls his eyes when he concludes that she probably did this last minute again. Honestly, when was she going to learn? There was only so much he could take.

Ritsu puts down the manuscript and contemplates on what to do. He did not want to deal with her today; or for the rest of this week for that matter. These was his days off, damn it. He wasn't even supposed to be working. Well…not that he could help it. Being the workaholic that he was he took more story boards to do than necessary.

Ritsu looks down at the manuscript again and sighs. It was probably because he babies her. Pushing back the deadline, giving her more time, multiple chances...Well you know what? That was it. She wasn't going to get any special treatment from him this time. If she didn't correct these by the end of this week then he was dropping her story.

Ritsu reaches for his phone in his back pocket and gives her a quick text saying that the story was terrible, she needs to fix everything, and it's all due by the end of this week otherwise her manga will be pushed back until next year.

Satisfied, Ritsu stands up and stretches his tired muscles, moaning in relief when his bones popped into place. He regards the manuscripts sprawled over his new desk and winces. Maybe he should give some of these manuscripts to his co-workers. It wasn't even noon and already he was stressed to the max. Luckily, hell week was over, and there wasn't much to do these days. Ritsu sighs. He'll fax the manuscripts over later. Right now he should make something to eat. He was starved.

As he turns for the door, Ritsu couldn't help but take a quick look at the empty bed, and wonder what happened to the wolf. When he woke up this morning he found himself alone. He thought that maybe the wolf had left the bedroom and went into the living room but his speculations were shot down when he saw the patio door wide open to the morning breeze. Ritsu had frowned at that. Didn't he lock that door last night? How did the wolf manage to unlock it?

Ritsu shrugs it off and tells himself the wolf was intelligent and probably unlocked it himself. Maybe his first assumption about the wolf being his grandmothers was true.

Ritsu heads out of the bedroom, making sure to close the door behind him, and walk into the kitchen. He hasn't taken the time to memorize the kitchen yet, so it took him a while to find anything. At least finding the coffee maker was easy. Looking around the kitchen, Ritsu wonders how long it would take to find the rest of the pots in all these cabinets, and decides it wasn't worth the time. He wasn't _that_ hungry…

…Ok, fine. He was just too lazy to look for them.

Sighing, Ritsu turns the coffee maker on and waits for the water to boil. He leans back against the counter, crosses his arms, and looks out the window. The day looked beautiful; quiet. The sun's rays had a potent effect on the flowers, bringing their color to life, the trees swayed against the soft wind, and the birds were singing to a new day.

He wasn't used to this. He was expecting loud traffic, or people chatting away on the sidewalks, but all he heard was silence.

It was unnerving. It made him feel isolated. Alone in the world.

Ritsu shakes it off. He needed to keep active in order to take his mind off of it. But there wasn't much to do. The cottage was clean, the manuscripts would be done by his co-workers, he didn't have anything to read, and no one to talk to. He was used to biding his time with _something_. Doing nothing was foreign to him. There has to be papers to correct or calls to make or hell, even going to the printers to deal with whatever issue was wrong with the publishing.

But now…

Now what?

It was too quiet.

Empty.

_Suffocating._

Ritsu slumps against the counter and sighs. "What the hell am I doing?" He mutters quietly, depression growing in his chest. This must be what true loneliness feels like. Sure he was used to being alone. He didn't have a girlfriend or visited his parents much, he didn't have any close friends, and he lived alone. But it was different. At least there was someone working with him, a person walking on the streets when he went home, or work calling. Resolve deflating, Ritsu wonders, "Maybe…Maybe I should just go hom-"

_Knock, knock._

Ritsu jerks in fright, his head whipping to the direction of the door. His heart starts beating out of his chest as he wonders who could be out here in the middle of nowhere. His mind races with hundreds of different possibilities, each one causing his heart to beat faster and harder. Then he remembers that it must be his new neighbor, Takano Masamune.

Scowling at himself for forgetting and making a huge deal out of nothing, Ritsu angrily makes his way to the door and opens it.

Takano's kind eyes and soft smile greets him. "Good morning."

His brain shut down. There were no other words to describe the way his mind just melted at the sight of Takano-san's smile. He had no words to speak, no thoughts going through his head, and that freaked him out. His heart raced, his palms felt clammy, and his lips were suddenly parched.

Takano's smile falls into a concerned frown. "Onodera?"

Ritsu feels a light blush rush up to his cheeks. He takes in the way Takano-san's golden eyes seemed to glow with the morning sun behind him, how his hair looked so soft against his cheeks, and how snug his clothes fit over muscled-

Ritsu inwardly shakes himself. What the hell was that all about!? What was he doing checking Takano-san out like that!? He scowls at himself before nodding to Takano-san's comment. "G-good morning, Takano-san. Um, would you like to come in?"

Takano-san flashes him a wolfish grin, causing his heart to skip a beat. "Thanks. I would love to." Takano-san takes a step into the house just as Ritsu takes a step back to let Takano-san in. Ritsu was startled to realize that that one step did nothing to put space between him and Takano-san. It was like Takano-san was occupying more space than necessary. Even though Takano-san was at least two or three inches taller than him it felt like Takano-san was swallowing him whole.

Ritsu felt so small. Yet he felt safe in Takano-san's presence.

He felt intimidated. Yet he didn't want to move away but draw closer.

Ritsu frowns in worry and a little bit of fear. What the hell was wrong with him? He felt so at war with himself. His mind was warning him of danger, yet his heart reassured him to stay. He never in his life experienced anything like this before. He read about it, plenty of times, but to actually feel it? The writers don't do it justice, Ritsu concludes. Anxiety bubbled in his chest, his head was dizzy with so many sensations, and his heart _ached_ in a bittersweet way.

"Onodera?"

Ritsu jerks his head up to Takano-san's confused eyes and realizes he's been silently staring at Takano-san while he was lost in thought. "A-ah, right." Ritsu tries his best to ignore the battle in his heart and mind and gestures to the kitchen, "Um, would you like some tea?"

"If it's not too much trouble, I would like some coffee." He rubs the back of his head sheepishly, "I just woke up."

"O-oh, that's fine. I-I was just making some." Why was he stuttering!? There was no reason to stutter! Damn it!

Takano-san grins. "Just my luck, huh?"

Ritsu nods absently as he shuts the door. He couldn't bring himself to look at Takano-san in fear that his emotions would go haywire again. He had no idea why this was happening to him or why Takano-san alone seemed to have this effect on him but he sure as hell didn't want to find out. The faster they get their coffee and conversation over with the better.

Ritsu beckons Takano-san to follow him and hurries to the kitchen. Takano-san casually sits at the table while Ritsu heads for the coffee maker. Ritsu could feel Takano-san's eyes following his every action causing him to fret uncomfortably.

"So, how are you doing?"

Ritsu shrugs as he reaches for the first cabinet near him. He had no idea where the cups were placed and he wishes that he had done this earlier. "Its fine, I guess. I'm still not used to it."

"Understandable." Takano-san chuckles, "I remember you hated it when you first came here."

Ritsu pauses in his search to look over his shoulder. "When I first came here?"

Takano-san nods, "As a child. You didn't like it here at first because you weren't used to it. I guarantee you; you'll love it again once you see the rest of your land."

"The rest of my land?"

Takano-san smirks. "What? Did you think it was just this cabin here?"

Ritsu nods. "The lawyers didn't mention anything else besides the cabin."

"Then I'll show you around once we finish with coffee."

Ritsu grins. Despite his emotional war earlier, Ritsu was glad that he wasn't alone anymore. Takano-san was a kind man and apparently an old friend. How can he be wary of that? "Thank you. I really appreciate that, Takano-san."

Takano-san suddenly shifts his gaze away from Ritsu, his expression going shy. "It's no problem, Onodera."

Ritsu was taken aback by this. _How cute, _his heart seemed to whisper and Ritsu couldn't help but agree.

He paused.

Cute? _Cute!?_ What the hell was he thinking!? He was a guy, damn it! He had no reason to think of _any_ guy like that! Ritsu quickly looks away and searches for the cups faster. What the hell? What the hell! What the hell!?

What was wrong with him!? He wasn't gay!

Ritsu's cheeks heat up as he recalls how tight fitted that V-neck shirt framed all of Takano-sans muscled body. Ritsu inwardly gawks. What the hell was he thinking!? He's a guy for crying out loud! Was he gay? Is this what gay people feel like when they suddenly realize they're gay? How did this work!? Can he reverse it!? He had no interest in men!

"Do you need help?" Takano-san whispers hotly in his ear.

Ritsu yelps, his body jerking away from Takano-san out of reflex, and openly gapes at him in disbelief. "Damn it, Takano-San! Don't do that!" He puts a hand over his heart and tries to catch his breath. Ritsu couldn't stop the shiver that ran down his spine as he recalls how close Takano-San stood beside him. How, being an inch away from Takano-san, felt electrifying…How his hot breath caressed his skin…

Ritsu's blush turns crimson.

Takano-san smirks. "The cups are over here." He points to the other side of the kitchen.

"O-oh. Right." Wait, how did Takano-San know that?

He was about to ask when Takano-San suddenly leans down, his face just inches away from his, and whispers, "Do I make you nervous?"

Ritsu tensed.

Takano-san bows his head down so that their eyes were even. This caused Ritsu to step back. Takano-san didn't stop, he moved until he had successfully caged Ritsu against the counter, his hands placed on either side of him, lessening any chance of running away. "Onodera?".

Takano-san had remarkable eyes, Ritsu couldn't help but note dumbly. They glittered like shards of gold sapphire, eyes that banked a touch of unmistakable masculine interest and intensity. It left him weak. Helpless.

Takano leans down so that they were a breath apart. His lips almost grazing his own and Ritsu was dumbfounded when he wanted nothing more than to close that gap.

"You know, we were very close as children." Takano-san breathed; his eyes going down to Ritsu's lips.

His heart skyrocketed. "O-oh?"

Takano nods slowly, his body tense. "We were inseparable."

Ritsu held his breath, waiting, aching, wanting, and yet fearing. He didn't understand how they ended up like this; he had no idea how to stop. He needed to stop this madness, needed to get away, and yet…

He felt his heart jerk painfully as Takano-san whispers achingly, "_I missed you_." Lips were less than an inch now, "_So much_."

Right when Takano-san was about to close the gap, to finally-_finally_-kiss him, Ritsu's phone starts ringing, bringing both men out of the trance.

Both Takano-san and Ritsu jerk away from each other, their eyes wide with surprise. "A-ah! Excuse me! I have to take this." Taking a step away from Takano-san, his fingers urgently pressed the answer button. "H-hello?"

"HOW DARE YOU, ONODERA!"

Ritsu cringes and quickly pulls the phone away from his ear.

"Onodera! I can't finish a story board in a damn week! Are you insane!?"

Ritsu groans. He was going to kill Isaka-san for assigning her to him. She was more trouble than she was worth!

He shifts his head to Takano-san, his eyes refusing to meet his, and mutters, "Sorry. I need to take this in the other room."

Takano merely nods.

Ritsu quickly walks away without looking back.


End file.
